Singapore now offers the world's most powerful passport

28 October 2017, 01:12 | Kara Nash

Singapore ranks first at Global Passport Power Rank 2017

Published by Arton Capital, a Canadian global consultancy firm, the Global Passport Index ranks nations in real time based on their visa-free score, which is curated by their freedom of visa-free and visa-upon-arrival privileges when traveling of their home country.

Other Asian countries included in the top 10 were South Korea at the 3rd spot, followed by Japan, and Malaysia at 6th place.

The passport index ranks passports based on their "total visa-free score" and each country receives a point for the number of countries that people with their passport can travel to without a visa.

Meanwhile, the United States passport has fallen in favor since President Donald Trump took office, the Passport Index statement said, noting that Turkey and the Central African Republic were the most recent countries to revoke visa-free status to USA passport holders.

Germany and Sweden ranked second and third, with a score of 158 and 157, respectively in the index. "It is a testament of Singapore's inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy", said Philippe May, managing director of Arton Capital's Singapore office.

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Arton uses the U.N.'s Development Programme Human Development Index, which rates countries on their perception overseas, to break ties, Forbes reports.

According to CNN, the top ranking for Singapore is thanks to a recent decision by Paraguay to remove visa requirements for passport holders of the Asian city-state.

At the bottom of the list stands Afghanistan, with a score of 22.

And Singapore has been named as the country with the most powerful passport in the world in a new report. A whopping 61 in fact, according to Arton Capital's 2017 Passport Index.

The Nomad Passport Index, meanwhile, ranks 199 citizenships on five factors: visa-free travel, worldwide taxation, perception, dual citizenship and personal freedom. China is ranked 67 with a visa-free score of 60. Although in the "individual classification", the Belarussian passport is listed as coming in at 109th place, and Oman 111th place.

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